Mom’s cancer growing again, starting new regimen
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Dear SDAIGRE, well what a wonderful way to start Christmas with a Miracle Story!!! Thank you so very much, don’t know how we can top this one.I am wishing for your husband’s translplant and praying for the good news to continue.
Hi-glad to hear from you again. I love hearing about transplant stories, I am a CC survivor because of one. I never had any side effects with Xeloda and I took it twice daily until transplant, which was 5 months. I hope the Xeloda nurse is calling you, because they were great and always checking for side effects.
Lots of HOPE for you!
Lots of prayers-Cathysdaigre…..How nice to hear from you again with such fantastic news. I don’t recall anyone’s comments on the benefits of B6 for hand-foot syndrome, but we are always eager to learn from others therefore, please, keep us informed.
In the meantime you might want your husband to be diligent with keeping his hands and feet moisturized as it really helps keep in check this common side effect of Xeloda.
I wish for a transplant to come about real soon and want you to know that all my best wishes are heading your way.
MarionHello, it’s been awhile since I have been checking in but my husband has been doing do well that it was as if I could take a break! He was diagnosed a year ago, did the gem/cap chemotherapy here at home, then to Houston for radiation. He was recommended for liver transplant as his tumor is non resectable. So we now have two hospitals, MDA and Methodist. We have been back home for the past month and he haslots of energy, looks wonderful and we feel almost normal! He is on his third round of Xeloda, 2 wks on,one week off while we wait for a liver. Starting to see some evidence of hand- foot side effects. I have found some info on B6 being helpful. Does anyone have any experience with this?
I really feel that we have beat the odds here so far and hope this is encouraging to others. When he was first told the news, he was given 3 to 9 months with no hope to ever qualify for transplant. Now look how things have changed! We read the Anti Cancer Book by Servan Schreiber and that was so helpful as it gave us focus. Another thing that I think made a huge difference in his tolerance of the chemotherapy and radiation and his energy level was a whey protein isolate, Immunocal. If anyone is interested, google it, there is a lot of info available. Thank you all for sharing and allowing me a place to go with this.Julie,
I have been on gemzar/xeloda since May 2010. My side effects have been peeling of the hands and feet and pain there also. He lowered my dose of xeloda from 7 days to 5 days and that stopped the problem. In these18 months my cancer has remained stable. I did also lose my hair(wasn’t supposed to) but after six months it started growing back. No explanation. I just
Had a scan Tuesday and everything still stable. I have quite a bit of disease all over: tumors in both sides of liver, lymph nodes enlarged, peritoneal and omentum lesions and glasslike slivers in lungs,but have remained
Stable. Dr. Said I’m exception to statistics and miracle.
I do still cry alot about my circumstances and the effect of this on my children, husband, and family. I am in pain lately offf and on, but take my vicodin. Each day I just move forward. I believe that God is in charge of my journey and he decides when it ends. As my Dr says “God has more for you to do.”
Please stay strong for you and your mom. I hope the xeloda works well for her.
Keep jar of Uttter balm handy and Aquaphore for hands and feet.
Feel free to come back with any questions.
JtoroPercy
You make an invaluable contribution to this site for the benefit of all current as well as future members. Congrats on the new title – well deserved.Gerry
Hi,everyone,
Thanks for all your encouragement.
I still under the wind but do not worry;today I can sit up and type to response to some messages.
I will be fine in the next weeks or so.
Life is interesting -it is not a straight line;it changes your priorities in a way that may not be anticipated at all;but thru the journey,we can all contribute a bit more to the society and become more connected;OH WOW.(please note i am not Steve Jobs,but I understand this 2 words in a more God related sense.)
God bless.Percy….the compliments to you are well deserved. Thank you for being here for us all.
All my best,
MarionHi Percy,
Congratulations to you! Lainy says it so well, you are too modest and you bring so much to everyone here, we all certainly need you here! I am sorry to hear about your sister in law, but I know that you will be there in her corner throughout. And who better for her to have in her corner than you. Take it easy!
Gavin
Hi, peggyp,
thanks for your compliment . i just posted what I know and if I don’t know,I try to find it out and sometimes it takes longer .
thanks for your concern about my sister-in- law.She is very lucky to john the OSU clinical trial.God’s grace shines thru her.
God bless.Thanks, Percy. You are way too modest as you give something to this site the rest of us cannot even begin to do. And one more thing, here Mr. Percy! The new title is also meant to scare away your CC for the next 100 years!!! We all need you.
Hi, Lainy,
thanks for your compliment.It is an honor that the foundation given to me even I am relatively a newcomer . In no way I can match you,Marion ,Gavin Stacy, Sara and others in the long time contribution to the members you all served here.
In gerneral, cancers divided into 2 groups(solid cancer-like breast ca;liver ca and CC and non solid cancers like leukemia).Researcher often try to use the new drugs they found and approved by FDA used for solid tumor(ie; breast cancer) and continue the research for additional uses and approval for other types of solid cancers(ie: kidney) ;but mostly it will not for non-solid form of cancer unless it is for investigational use.I think it is much easier for them to found new application and use in this way and faster for FDA approval . For example Gemzar is approved to be used for breast ca,NSCLC lung ca,pancreatic ca, ovarian ca. But as you know Gemzar is the 1st line drug for biliary cancer approval not long ago.
God bless.Dearest Percy, CONGRATULATIONS on your new title!! I am elated!
I am sorry about your sister-in-law and I have a stupid question. I know not much about Chemo since neither Teddy nor I had it but can chemo that our members get be used for other Cancers? Guess I just assumed there were different chemos for different kinds of Cancer. Sorry for the dumbness.Hi Julie and Percy,
My husband started on Xeloda yesterday (it’s after midnight here). I’m hoping it will be more kind to him than the gem/cisplatin/avastin. So far, his main problems with the other chemos has been low counts, weakness and fatigue. He hasn’t gotten sick at all; a little nauseated at times, but no real problem.
Julie, I hope your mom will tolerate her treatment well, and I’m sorry to hear about the new nodules. The nurse here kept emphasizing all the side effects with the Xeloda, too; but, I’m hoping they won’t occur. Sending well wishes to your mom.
Percy, glad you’re back. I have missed your posts. You are so full of knowledge. Sorry to hear about your sister-in-law but glad she is stable. PeggyP
Hi,
Gemzar and Xeloda combination is much easier to tolerate than Gemzar/cis.
no hair loss like the Gem/cis. Diarrhea is the major concern,but the dose of Xeloda
is about half when it is used in combination with Gemzar. So, it may not be a problem.Hand and foot syndrome will occur much much later or may be not at all for the same reason. I will agree with the doctor on this.Platelet count is related to both Gemzar and Xeloda;normally when it is <50,000 they will not given the dose;other labs like granulocyte count will be a factor too.
CA19-9 at this point of treatment is not that much of concern;mostly is more related to the number of the nodules ;use it as a baseline for future reference.
My sister-in-law is stage IV,on Gemzar and Xeloda regimen since January,2011 and with no problems on the platelet count ,diarrhea or hand and foot syndrome.Currently her condition is stable.
God bless.
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